Children have replaced a sense of wonder for life with ‘www’. They know the entire universe before they are six. But if you look at scientists, they are more freaked out than ever! They don’t know which direction to go because wherever they look, it all appears to be deeper than it ever was.
Do you know, just on your facial skin, there are billions of organisms. As we look closer at life, you will explode with wonder. Today, modern science has done a phenomenal amount of exploration. They have gone into all kinds of things that we would have never thought possible. For example, they are telling you that there are over a hundred billion galaxies; not stars, a hundred billion galaxies. As you explore, the wonder will only increase. You will realise the nature of existence.
But this very sense of wonder is fading in people because, in the name of knowledge, all we have are stupid conclusions about life. People are attention deficit and they wear it like a badge of honour. Anything in this existence will yield to you only if you pay substantial attention to it. But that’s where the problem lies.
In this condition, there will be no wonder, only conclusions in your head.There are only monologues; no perception. If there is perception, all the noise in your head will stop. If you are looking at something beautiful and engaging, everything stops.
This is why people enjoy the cinema. You switch off the lights and their attention is focused on the film for those ninety minutes. Their usual inner chitter-chatter is gone. Something else takes precedence. They don’t know what’s going to happen next, and that's what keeps their attention fixed. This is excellent as it makes them feel they're doing something whole-heartedly. It’s important to note here that it’s not just merely about attention. It’s about continuous attention that makes the experience what it is.
This is a rudimentary form of meditation, which is called dharana. Every school should bring in a dimension that requires a child to pay attention to something continuously. It could be music or dance. Neither can be done unless you don’t pay full attention. But you can surely pass an examination without attention.
If you just make children walk in the forest in complete darkness, without torches, cellphones or any device (in a protected atmosphere), you will see that their ability to pay attention and their sense of wonder will be at its zenith. But we make them physically incapable of these things. Sitting in front of the computer is making them physically incapable.
When something hurts physically, they protest but they will not do anything about it. This is something that parents must take care of. Bringing up your child does not mean just sending him to school so that he gets good grades. That’s nonsense. Your child should develop physically and mentally. That is when success will manifest. Marks will never do that for them.
Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a bestselling author. He was conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 2017. Isha.sadhguru.org